Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Sept. 25

We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in South Carolina. Check back for updates.

Cases pass 140,000

At least 140,056 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina, and 3,114 have died, according to state health officials.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Friday reported 647 new cases of the virus, down from 664 the day before.

Twenty deaths were reported Friday.

The DHEC on Friday reported a positive test rate of 11.1%. The rolling seven-day average is 10.7%, the lowest rate since early June. Health officials have said that number should be 5% or lower to slow the spread of the virus.

COVID-19 continues decline at USC

The University of South Carolina reported 88 active cases of coronavirus on campus as of Friday, down slightly from 95 reported earlier in the week.

A difference of seven cases isn’t much, but the university carried out double the number of tests between Tuesday and Thursday as it did between last Friday and this Monday.

Of the 1,560 tests conducted from Tuesday to Thursday, only 0.7% came back positive, according to the university.

102 new cases in K-12 schools

There are 102 new coronavirus cases in South Carolina K-12 schools since Tuesday, when the state Department of Health and Environmental Control last reported COVID-19 data on schools.

That brings the number of cases this school year to 724. Of those cases, students account for 501, and employees make up 223.

Appeals court overturns ruling on absentee ballots

A federal judge’s decision, intended to make voting by absentee ballot in South Carolina easier, has been overturned by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, The State reported.

U.S. Judge Michelle Childs’ ruling, made last week, prevented the state Election Commission from requiring absentee voters to get a witness signature.

Now that the decision has been overturned, any South Carolinian planning to vote by absentee ballot must have a witness sign the envelope.

In explaining her ruling, Childs pointed out that there is no evidence of significant voter fraud having occurred in the state in the last 40 years.

Republican officials were behind the push to overturn Childs’ decision and hailed the 4th Circuit Court’s decision as a victory for states’ rights, saying it will ensure a fair, secure election.

Democrats maintain that a witness signature requirement simply makes voting absentee more difficult, while adding no benefit to the democratic process.

“Our goal has been to afford people during a pandemic the opportunity to cast a vote without risking his/her life,” State Democratic Party Chair Trav Robertson said in a statement. “We believe that the witness signature requirement for South Carolina absentee ballots is a wholly unnecessary burden on people trying to vote safely.”

Domestic violence spiked during Lexington County shutdown

Domestic violence surged in Lexington County during the COVID-19 lockdown, The State reported.

Over the first eight months of the year, instances of domestic violence increased 38% compared with the same period in 2019, Deputy Solicitor Al Eargle told the Lexington County Council. At the same time, 28% fewer cases went through the court system, partially because courts were shut earlier during the pandemic.

Eargle’s comments are consistent with what many agencies that handle domestic abuse cases had been reporting. With lockdowns in effect, many found themselves trapped with their abusers, less able to leave or otherwise avoid the violence.

SC senator tests positive for COVID-19

State Sen. Katrina Shealy has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Lexington County Republican announced Thursday.

Shealy and her husband are both “experiencing the not so pleasant (effects) of the illness,” she wrote on her Senate Facebook page, asking the public for their prayers.

The senator was present for legislative sessions last Tuesday and Wednesday but has been in quarantine at home since then, she told The State.

This story was originally published September 25, 2020 at 6:55 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on Sept. 25."